The Living Word

Bible study on the set readings widely used by various churches and chapels and a weekly storytelling video. Also at www.medium.com/the-living-word and https://thelivingword.substack.com

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July 23: Conflict nags us but God’s will and way is our inheritance

July 19, 2023 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

Dyrham Park west front and formal garden
Dyrham Park west front and formal garden

This is The Living Word Bible Study for Sunday, July 23, based on these Bible readings from the interdenominational scheme used by many churches and chapels.

Theme: Conflict nags us but God’s will and way is our inheritance

Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24

Genesis 28:10-19

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Romans 8:12-25

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Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24

1-2 You have searched me, Lord, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar.

3-4 You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue — You, Lord, know it completely.

5 You hem me in behind and before, and You lay Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

7-10 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.

11-12 If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.

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Genesis 28:10-19 — Jacob escapes conflict and is reassured by God

• In a vivid dream he sees heaven connected to earth and God speaks to him

10-11 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 

“Jacob… set out for Harran” — sent away from Canaan by his father to find a wife.

“He put the stone under his head” — People then were used to sleeping on the ground. A large stone afforded protection rather than comfort.

12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

“He saw a stairway” — like an ancient ziggurat, rather than a ladder

“Resting on the earth” — a sign to Jacob that God intended to be present on earth.

13-14 There above it stood the Lord, and He said: ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

“There above it stood the Lord” — Jacob found himself in what appeared to be a temple antechamber with access to the gate of heaven.

15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’

“I am with you” — local deities were believed to be territorial but God reassures Jacob of His presence on the journey, restating the promise made to his grandfather Abraham.

16-17 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.’ He was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.’

“He was afraid” — having had an encounter with God, more than a dream.

18-19 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel [house of God].

“Set it up as a pillar” — marking the place and the occasion in the way of the ancient world.

Reflection

SUMMARY Away from his homeland, Jacob has a surprising encounter with God who assures him that He will safeguard his destiny.

APPLICATION This is an arresting and life-changing experience for Jacob, reminding him that his need to move away had not distanced him from God.

QUESTION How do we encounter God and seek His renewed guidance? 

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Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 — Weeds in the wheat mimic the true crop

• Understanding why fruitful and harmful forces coexist in a confusing world

24-26 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed ears, then the weeds also appeared.

*”The kingdom of heaven is like” – introduces six of the seven parables in this chapter. The sower and soils is also a kingdom parable, but needs a different introduction to allow the story to unfold.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?”

28 ” ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“Enemy… sowed weeds” – malicious crop ruination was recorded. The bearded darnel “weeds” (or tares) look like wheat until the heads form with poisonous black seeds.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29-30 ‘“No,” he answered, “because while you are pulling up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ “

“While you are pulling up the weeds” – which are too similar with intertwined roots. The farmer’s unusual confidence in saving such a crop is a stand-out part of the story.

36 Then He left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

37-38 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom.

“The field is the world” – Jesus sets a wide context for the story. Jews are undecided about who Jesus is; the Messiah was expected to destroy evildoers and affirm the righteous. 

38-39 “The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

“Harvest… The end of the age” — Jesus shows that the devil trespasses on the whole world belonging to the Son of Man. The punishment and blessing will come at the end of the age.

40-42 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“There will be weeping” – when the Son of Man returns He will establish fully His righteous kingdom, that we see in part now. The final judgment will make clear separation between good and evil, submitted and rebellious.

“They will weed out of His kingdom” – defines the kingdom of God as those who are righteous and belonging to Jesus. The parable brings out how the kingdom exists in the world alongside the wicked, to be separated when Jesus returns.

“Weeping and gnashing of teeth” – a phrase only used by Matthew.

• For further study, see Matt. 13:40, 50, 8:12, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30.

43 “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

“Shine like the sun” – believers reflect the brightness of the glory of God by the Holy Spirit. See Daniel 12:3.

Reflection

SUMMARY The scenario of a spoiled crop, familiar to hearers, is a down-to earth way to explain how our lives are affected by a confusing but real spiritual conflict. 

APPLICATION Jesus is Lord, but those who do not acknowledge Him as their Lord are vulnerable to being used disruptively by the devil.

QUESTION How aware are we of the spiritual conflict around us? How do we influence it?

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Romans 8:12-25 — Life comes by the Spirit, slow death by the flesh

• In the kingdom we can make empowered choices as children and heirs of God

12-13 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation – but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

“Children of God” – God called Israel His children, saving them in the exodus and promising them an inheritance in the Promised Land. By using this language, Paul identifies believers in Jesus as the people of God.

• For further study see Exodus 4:22, also Jeremiah 31:9 and 20. 

15-17 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.

“Adoption to sonship” – in Roman culture, an adopted child received the full privileges and rights of the family as a full heir to the family estate. Becoming a Christian is to become part of God’s family, gaining a new identity, spiritual authority and the privilege of living guided by the Holy Spirit, Galatians 4:5-6.

18-19 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

“Our present sufferings” – persecution was expected and remains a reality today. Paul and Barnabas warned new believers in Galatia, saying “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” We set out to live righteously, aware of the kingdom, and expecting to experience difficulty in a world of opposing values – as Jesus did.

20-21 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

“Creation… liberated from… bondage to decay” – everything in nature is in a cycle of decay because of sin. Left to itself, everything starts to deteriorate and rot — not just food and vegetation. Spiritual initiatives unsupported by prayer and left to carry on after God’s presence has lifted, decline and die.

22-25 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

“Creation has been groaning” – like a woman’s labour pains, and a reminder of the curse that Adam brought on creation by his independent folly.

Reflection

SUMMARY While Jesus’ parable was about theconflict we observe, here the teaching is about the conflict we experience personally between our selfish impulses and the leading of the Spirit.

APPLICATION We have to suffer the decay of God’s perfect creation but we can can make good choices, to know our privilege and as God’s children, use it to live in harmony with His Spirit.

QUESTION If life is conflicted and complicated, how are we helped to overcome?

PRAYER No-one, Lord God, can be compared with You, and with You there is no pretence, no shadow of turning, nothing unsubstantiated.

You are true, and You call us to be true disciples, growing up to be fruitful. We turn from everything that is presentation rather than substance, and from building our empire without growing Your kingdom.

Help us to live in the freedom and reality of what Jesus has won for us at such cost — like the fully adopted children of Yours that we are. Amen. 

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Filed Under: Pentecost to Advent, Year A

July 16: God’s purpose flows through Word and Spirit

July 15, 2023 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

A large pond framed by gardens and a stone wall, part of the west front view at Dyrham Park, Wiltshire, UK
A large pond framed by gardens and a stone wall, part of the west front view at Dyrham Park, Wiltshire, UK

This is The Living Word Bible Study for Sunday, July 16, 2023, drawn from the readings set in the interdenominational scheme used by a cross-section of churches and chapels.

Theme: God’s purpose flows through Word and Spirit

Psalm 119:105-112

105 Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow Your righteous laws.

107 I have suffered much; preserve my life, Lord, according to Your Word.

108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me Your laws.

109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget Your law.

110 The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from Your precepts.

111 Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.

112 My heart is set on keeping Your decrees to the very end.

Genesis 25:19-34 — How Jacob came to gain Esau’s birthright

• Of the twin brothers one valued the birthright and the other despised it

19-20 This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.

“Isaac… married Rebekah” — had he married one of the corrupt and syncretistic Canaanite people, the covenant faith would have been in danger.

21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.

22-23 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

“She went to inquire of the Lord” — by visiting a prophet, possibly Abraham.

“The older will serve the younger” — contrary to custom; quoted in Romans 9:10-12 as an example of God’s sovereign right to act according to His perfect will

24-26 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.

28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished.

30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.

31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

‘Sell me your birthright” — Jacob saw the value of the birthright, but it was by God’s appointment that the blessing came to him.

32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

“Selling his birthright” — ancient texts of the period mention transferable birthrights.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

“Despised his birthright” — and also the covenant promises Isaac had inherited from Abraham.

Reflection

SUMMARY God’s purpose was in the covenant promise He made to Abraham about him being the father of a nation. Now two generations on, God favours Jacob to carry the flame.

APPLICATION When God’s way is not the way that we expect, it is a reminder to respect God’s sovereign choice.

QUESTION How do we react when God upsets our preferred order?

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Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 — Disciples receive and multiply Jesus’ word

• Like seed sown in good soil we grow truth into a harvest of others

1-2 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.

“Sat by the lake” – the Cove of the Parables near Capernaum was one of a number on Galilee’s shores which provided a natural acoustic for a crowd to hear.

3 Then He told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.

“In parables” – there are about 30 of these illustrative stories in Matthew, Mark and Luke, with other figures of speech recorded in John. Parables taught a main point with additional meaning for serious enquirers, and were difficult for Jesus’ enemies to argue with.

4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

“Some fell along the path” – paths often crossed fields.

5-6 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

“Rocky places” – sowing was often carried out before cultivation, hence the variety in the soils.

7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.

8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop — a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

“A hundred times” – far more than expected. True disciples will be supernaturally fruitful.

9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

“Whoever has ears” – a challenge to engage with the meaning and respond.

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:

“What the parable… means” – a rare instance of Jesus interpreting His own story.

19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

“The message about the kingdom” – or “the word of God”, Luke 8:11.

“Does not understand” – in the sense of believing and understanding. The kingdom spiritual rule of Christ is discerned through faith.

20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.

“Falling on rocky ground” – like the hard ground of the path, vv.4, 19, lacking a place for the message to take root, owing to hard-heartedness, or a shallow emotional response.

21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

“Last only a short time” – wanting the benefits of salvation without accepting the cost of being a disciple.

22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

“Deceitfulness of wealth” – as long   bas we have faith and live accordingly, God is not against wealth.

• For further study, see Matthew 4:8-10, 6:24, 13:44-45; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17.

23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

“Produces a crop” – unlike the three soils which produced none; disciples are intended to be supernaturally fruitful.

Reflection

SUMMARY This well-known story told by Jesus is does not focus on the sower or the seed but the four kinds of soil where it tries to take root. 

APPLICATION This emphasises our need to have soft and receptive hearts toward God’s word, valuing it as the message of the kingdom.

QUESTION What does it look like for us to “produce a crop”?

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Romans 8:1-11 — Our revival is the intention of the Holy Spirit

• Any way of thinking which begins and ends with ourselves is hostile to God

1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

“Therefore” – concluding the argument of chapters 5-7.

“Condemnation” – guilty and facing due penalty; the opposite of justification, Romans 5:1-2, 9, 18. The human condition from having inherited Adam’s sin, Romans 5:12-6:23; however, every believer in Jesus, is justified, declared free, owing to Christ’s payment of the penalty in self-sacrifice.

“The law of the Spirit who gives life” – now for the believer the ‘control’ is the enabling and leading influence of the Holy Spirit.

3-4 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

“Law was powerless” – to enable us to live above sit.

“Likeness of sinful flesh” – Christ was incarnated truly human and looking like any other self-centred, independent person – except that He wasn’t.

“Righteous requirement of the law” – for the believer not a route to salvation but an internalised moral compass enabled “according to the Spirit”.

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

“Live according to the flesh” – compare “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.” (NLT)

6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

“Governed by the flesh” – compare “Obsession with self… is a dead end… the opposite of focusing on God.” (The Message)

7-8 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

“Realm of the flesh… of the Spirit” – describes two mindsets, one with a bias towards sin and independence from God, the other renewed with a bias towards living for God.

“The Spirit of God… the Spirit of Christ… if Christ is in you” – the language is of the Trinity, one God existing in three persons.

11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.

“He who raised Christ from the dead… life to your mortal bodies” – the promise of resurrection by the Holy Spirit whose presence is evidenced by a Spirit-controlled life, vv. 4-9.

Reflection

SUMMARY The power of the word is associated with the mind governed by the Spirit. With the Spirit of God indwelling, the believer in Jesus has a practical, realistic choice to live and think by the leading and enabling of the Spirit, and to say ‘no’ to what Paul calls the flesh, 

APPLICATION This is the word – God’s truth and the expression of the kingdom – working with the Holy Spirit in a life-giving way which transforms how we think and act. 

QUESTION What is the unique characteristic of the Holy Spirit that transforms us? (vv.2, 6, 10, 11)

PRAYER Lord God, at the beginning of time You spoke the world into existence by Your creative word. You have never stopped speaking, and Your word is a real force for bringing new life. May we be fertile soil for hearing Your word, agreeing with Your word and speaking it to each other and to You. Help us to partner with the work of Your Spirit in being a joyful, peace-bringing life-giving force for You — and Your glory. Amen.

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• See this week’s article Becoming Fruitful for God — Living in Alignment with Word and Spirit

• Watch the video Becoming Fruitful for God…

• Listen to the podcast The Secret the Old-time Preachers and Pastors Knew

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Filed Under: Pentecost to Advent, Year A

July 9: Finding joy, peace and freedom in the Lord

July 8, 2023 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

Waterfall feeding into ornamental ponds in the baroque garden of Dyrham Park, Wiltshire
Waterfall feeding into ornamental ponds in the baroque garden of Dyrham Park, Wiltshire

• Watch this week’s video and more on Substack

This is The Living Word Bible Study for Sunday, July 9, 2023, based on these Bible readings set according to the interdenominational scheme:

Psalm 45:10-17

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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THE LIVING WORD POSTS are available on https://thelivingword.uk https://medium.com/the-living-word https://thelivingword.substack.com VIDEOS on YouTube channel — search for The Living Word with Ian Greig Instagram (tall version for mobiles) https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cug6ggRgYWn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== POSTS, VIDEOS AND PODCASTS on https://thelivingword.substack.com Podcasts — search for The Living Word podcast with Ian & Alison Greig

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Welcome to The Living Word

You get a lot more out of the Sunday service readings if they are already speaking to you. TLW is about reading and re-reading these Scriptures with some commentary to bring out what is hidden and make connections with cross references. This is different from liturgy because it is a Bible study, putting the Bible passages in sequence from OT, through the NT gospel era, and then through the lens of the post-resurrection, early church in the power of the Spirit. Enabling this progressive revelation points to a theme.  The translation used is the readable and widely-used 2011 edition of the New International Version (NIV) Bible. Commentary is drawn from a wide range of sources and is Bible-centric and theologically neutral. As we read and reflect and allow the Holy Spirit to help us hear God through His word during the week, we prepare ourselves to hear afresh and receive the Sunday sermon in church or chapel.

For convenience, use the ‘Subscribe’ box below to receive a short email with the Bible passage and notes for each weekday (and that’s all!).

Unsubscribing is just as easy.

A little about me and my vision for The Living Word

I live in the Marches, a green and beautiful expanse of hills between England and Wales where churches and chapels share duty to the Christian faithful in every valley, and churchgoing is still part of the community life. However, there are few Bibles to be seen in these buildings, and home-based groups for fellowship and Bible study are rare.

I want to encourage Sunday worshippers in churches and chapels to enjoy reading the Bible during the week, to get used to hearing God for themselves through His word, and to be  spiritually prepared for the message they will hear on Sunday from the lectionary readings they all share. It is no substitute for meeting and worshipping together, nor for Holy Spirit-inspired preaching. It supports both by encouraging the personal growth of church and chapel members of any denomination. It offers faith encouragement for those no longer able to, or no longer wanting to take part in, formal physical church.

My background is not in churches that use the lectionary and I bring a breadth of tradition and spiritual understanding to the writing.  I have pastored a number of churches and been involved in a variety of other missional initiatives with a ‘kingdom of God’ agenda.

As well as The Living Word and its weekly video I also post regularly on www.freshbread.today and www.thelivingword.substack.com with a podcast as well as video and written content. There is also a Facebook page at fb.com/TLWbiblestudy

Revd Ian Greig BD (Hons), DPS

SEE ALSO other Living Word Publications

Substack newsletter and podcast (free subscription) — audio podcast, video and written content all in one place

Fresh Bread Today — the freshest bake, with a bit of a tang, unpackaged and uncut. His word to live by, today.

Believe the Good News – finding the good news and encouragement all through the Bible

GLOW – God’s Love Over Weobley, encouraging prayer and spiritual fellowship. With a local flavour for this NW Herefordshire village.

 

 

 

 

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